


Sibling Rivalry

by solarishashernoseinabook



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Celebrations, Dad!Halt, Friendly competition, Gen, Mentions of alcohol, Will and Gilan are Brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29164179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarishashernoseinabook/pseuds/solarishashernoseinabook
Summary: Will won't let Gilan one-up him, no matter how friendly the competition
Relationships: Gilan & Will Treaty
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	Sibling Rivalry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zunnietheweirdo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zunnietheweirdo/gifts).



> Decided to write some fluffy brother stuff for Zunnie, I hope you like it! ^-^

‘You packed your bedroll, right?’   
‘Yes.’   
‘And your spare blanket?’   
‘Gilan’ll have a blanket there—’   
Halt raised an eyebrow.   
Will sighed. ‘Yes, I have my spare blanket. And my bedroll. Even though Gilan already has a spare bed.’   
‘And do you have enough—’   
‘Halt, you watched me pack!’ Will said.   
Gilan had written them a letter asking for some help. His fief was having a celebration that often got out of hand, and he asked if Will could come to help out. Will had wondered if it was really a job for a ranger, which had sparked a gleam in Halt’s eyes that meant it was time for a teaching moment.   
_‘Rangers often have to deal with the day-to-day problems of a fief. Our skills are useful for crowd control and other issues that may come up. Redmont rarely gets into situations like these, so this’ll be a good opportunity for you to see what might happen when you get your own fief.’_   
Back in the present, Halt’s eyes softened and he gave Will a rare smile. ‘You should get to Gilan’s fief by evening.’   
Will nodded. ‘Okay.’   
Halt turned and started to walk out of the barn. He only got a few steps before Will threw his arms around him from behind and hugged him tightly. Halt smiled again, but didn’t turn around. ‘You need to head out soon,’ he said, his voice deliberately gruff.   
Will drew away and hopped on Tug.   
‘Remember, you might not be his apprentice, but Gilan’s in charge while you’re there,’ Halt said.   
Will waved and trotted out of the barn, then urged Tug into a canter. Halt watched them till they were gone. 

* 

Gilan was eating a simple dinner on his porch when he spotted Will and Tug, visible only as a white spot moving through the fields. When they got closer he stood and waved and saw Will’s wave in return. Either Will urged Tug to go faster – unlikely, Gilan knew, as they had been riding all day – or Tug had picked up on his rider’s excitement, because Tug now galloped over to the cabin and cleared the distance between them in minutes.   
Will slowed him to a trot when they were close to the cabin and slid down. Gilan stepped off the porch and drew the boy into a hug. ‘Good to see you again! You didn’t have any problems getting here?’   
‘No, it was great!’ Will said, breathless with excitement. He drew away and took Tug’s reins, leading the horse to the stable, and Gilan followed, listening as Will talked away about the interesting things that had happened on his journey.   
‘Did you eat?’ he said after a bit, when Will had stopped speaking quite so fast.   
Will suddenly looked guilty. ‘Uh, no. I stopped to give Tug some oats and water, but…’   
‘Then how about you eat something before bed, huh?’ Gilan said, suppressing a chuckle, and took Will inside. 

* 

Gilan wondered what it would take to actually tire Will out.   
When the ranger had awoken and padded tiredly to the kitchen for coffee, it was to find Will already making some, a bowl of porridge next to him that he occasionally took bites from. He poured two cups of coffee, apparently not having noticed he was no longer alone in the kitchen.   
‘I admit it’s been a few years since I was an apprentice, but I don’t remember him forcing me to ever get up early and do the chores.’   
‘Oh!’ Will had whirled around. ‘Oh, no, Halt doesn’t make me do it, I just figured I would. I was already awake. I didn’t make porridge for you yet, I wanted to make sure there was enough honey for coffee, is that okay?’   
‘You can slow down, you know,’ Gilan had assured him, grinning. ‘And I usually just have toast for breakfast, thanks. But _I’ll_ make it, you’ve done enough,’ he had added, as Will went to the cupboard to grab bread.   
Will had kept up a similar amount of energy as he practiced his archery and prepared Tug for the day. He had pestered Gilan with questions about the festival and what usually happened, during which Gilan revealed that it was celebrating the birthday of Baron Trevor, who had been the baron during Morgarath’s first insurrection and had been one of King Duncan’s strongest supporters. It typically involved feasting, drinking, jousting, and games.   
Now they were at the site of the main celebration. Individual towns farther in the fief would have their own, but most people travelled to the castle to participate in the larger and much more impressive celebration Trevor’s son Roald put on every year. It was this celebration that Gilan had asked for Will’s help with, but for now he let Will explore so he could see everything and familiarise himself with what was going on. Will’s eyes were bright, and though he tried to hide his grin for the sake of professionalism Gilan knew he was having fun.   
Will was watching some farmers joust now. As farmers didn’t have access to full armour or horses, the jousting was slightly different: some padded armour with a metal breastplate was given to each farmer, and they stood on the driver’s bench of a cart filled with soft straw. They each held ash lances with padded tips. Three men would push the cart at a run to get it going fast, with each farmer trying to knock the other into the straw behind. The stakes were low, the prizes ranging from a young hen to a new kettle, but the spectators and participants alike were having fun and laughing, and every match ended with the participants shaking hands and going off for a drink.   
‘Okay, Will, let’s get to work,’ Gilan said, gesturing him over. ‘A few reports of problems have come in and we’re going to split them up between ourselves.’   
‘What happened? Nothing serious, right?’   
‘No, nothing serious. Some items stolen from vendors stalls, mainly.’ He told Will where to go and Will darted off.   
The first stall sold ribbons, and the vendor said six had gone missing; Will tracked them down to a boy who had given two each to three girls he was trying to impress and left the girls to angrily deal with the boy as he took them back. He had to settle a dispute between a butcher and a farmer who’s dog had stolen some sausages, which the farmer had been reluctant to pay for but who gave in when Will made him. He scampered up a tree to help a toddler out of it and helped a drunk man with his head stuck in a bucket. Gilan found him leaning over an empty barrel, trying to get out a kitten that had fallen in. Thanks to Will’s short height and the barrel’s depth, Will nearly fell in himself before straightening up and handing the kitten back to a nervous little girl, who ran off with barely a word.   
‘Having fun?’   
‘Yeah!’ Will grinned. ‘It’s nice here. D’you have anything else I need to do?’   
‘Yeah, eat and have some water. It’s past midday.’   
‘Oops.’ Will’s grin turned sheepish. ‘Thanks, Gilan.’   
Gilan chuckled and took him to a series of long tables groaning under the weight of food and drink. Only once Will saw it and took in the smells did he realise how hungry he was. He piled his plate high, filled a tankard with water, and took a seat.   
Gilan sat net to him. ‘It calms down a bit after midday,’ he said. ‘Well, for the most part. The actual jousting will happen, the knights stage a mock battle, and that’s usually it. Everyone wants to see those, so the vendors pack up. We’re mainly there for crowd control.’   
‘Do you ever participate in the battles?’ Will asked.   
‘Nah, no one wants to fight a ranger even if it is with swords.’ Gilan grinned.   
Their conversation was interrupted by a horn blowing, followed by the sounds of hooves on grass and clinking armour. The crowd parted with a soft gasp and excited whispers as a dozen knights in full armour trotted single file to the green where the farmers had jousted earlier. They rode twice in a circle around the jousting area, then went off to either side.   
Will looked at Gilan with wide, pleading eyes. Gilan sighed and hid his grin. ‘Okay, fine, let’s go watch.’   
_And he’s still not tired_ , Gilan thought, watching Will dart off through the crowd. _I was definitely more restrained when I was an apprentice._   
The image of Halt, his eyebrow raised, rose unbidden to mind. _‘I didn’t think I’d say this, but no more coffee for you. You’re active enough without it,’_ he remembered Halt say once.   
_Well…maybe not._

* 

‘That guy there, Sir Reginald – he drops his elbow too much, see that? And Sir Frederick there can’t use a shield effectively for the life of him. Used properly, a shield is just as much a weapon as a sword. Now, can you see anything wrong with Sir Markus there?’   
Will followed the movements of the distant knight. Gilan had told him he was the one in green. He squinted and thought for a moment. ‘He’s…his wrist is stiff.’   
‘Very good,’ Gilan said, smiling approvingly. ‘He can’t block as effectively or move as quickly, and it causes strain on his shoulder.’   
Will would never need to know this. He knew that, and Gilan did, too. But Gilan clearly loved sword fighting, and Will knew that without an apprentice he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Though, Will had to admit, it was nice listening to him. He had a way of keeping Will engaged with what he was teaching so that it never felt like a lesson.   
The mock battle came to an end. The knights on the losing side got down on one knee, holding their swords pointed downwards in front of them, while the knights on the winning side stood proudly their swords held up in front of them. Baron Roald, wearing decorated but still functional armour, walked between the lines of knights, congratulating the winners by name. To Will’s surprise, he also spoke to the ones who lost, congratulating them and giving them encouragement for next year. This was clearly a baron respected by his people, Will thought.   
Then Roald stood and spoke in a booming voice. ‘Well, it’s certainly been an exciting day! And that was an exciting battle to finish off on.’ He was forced to pause as the crowd cheered. ‘Yes, very exciting. However…’ He made an exaggerated show of looking up at the still blue sky, ‘it’s not even evening yet! What else can we do to pass the time?’   
‘Is this leading up to something?’ Will muttered.   
‘No,’ Gilan said in a low voice. ‘Usually the mock battle goes longer and it’s dusk by the time they’re done, which gives everyone an excuse to eat and drink a bit longer before going to bed.’   
Around them, the crowd had begun giving suggestions, but one voice rang out loud and clear. ‘Archery! Archery contest! There’s two rangers here this time!’   
All heads turned towards Will and Gilan, then the call was taken up by more voices. ‘Archery! A contest!’   
‘What do you think, Ranger Gilan?’ Roald said. ‘Will you and your young friend there treat us to a little demonstration?’   
Will, unused to being put on the spot – though he really should be by now – shrank into his cloak, but Gilan took one look at Will and grinned. ‘I think we’d both like that, wouldn’t we?’   
‘Meanie,’ Will muttered as the crowd cheered. Gilan only laughed.   
Under Roald’s direction the area was cleared and makeshift targets were set up. The targets were just barrels with bits of paint on them, but they would be more than enough for their purposes.   
‘You’ll fire ten arrows each, judged for speed and accuracy,’ Roald said. Will and Gilan were standing twenty metres from the targets, their bows held loosely by their sides. ‘Neither of you raise your bows or touch an arrow until the horn,’ Roald went on. ‘Ready?’   
The crowd roared in assent. Roald raised his arm, then let it drop and the horn blowed.   
It was over almost before anyone could take into account what had happened. Will tried his hardest, but Gilan loosed his last arrow barely a second before Will. The thuds of the arrows hitting their targets were drowned out by the crowd’s cheers as Roald went to check. ‘And that’s a win for Ranger Gilan – but a close one! But I think we have time for another demonstration, don’t we? How about with throwing knives?’   
The crowd cheered again and Gilan grinned at Will. ‘Up for it?’   
‘Yeah, and this time I’ll win,’ Will said, as fresh barrels were brought out and new targets painted on. Again Roald raised his hand, again the horn blew, and again Will and Gilan threw first their saxe knives, then their throwing knives. But by some small miracle, Will’s aim was slightly better than Gilan’s here – he ended up with his throwing knife quivering in the target directly above the saxe, so close they were almost touching, while Gilan’s were farther apart. This time the cheers from the crowd sounded more surprised, but equally pleased, and Roald clapped loudly. ‘Wonderful! We have a tie between our two rangers! What do we say to a tie breaker?’   
‘Oh you’re on,’ Gilan said. He walked forward, grabbed an apple and his knives, and walked through the crowd until they were behind him. Will, curious, retrieved his knives and followed.   
Gilan stood where he was for a moment, letting the excitement from the crowd build. He raised the apple and looked at it. He held his saxe knife in his other hand.   
Then to a collective gasp from the crowd he hurled the apple away as far as he could. A second later he threw his saxe knife after it.   
The saxe knife thudded into the ground, pommel up, and two neat apple halves dropped to the soft grass.   
Will watched him, dumbfounded. ‘How did you do that?!’ he said, the roar of the crowd almost drowning out his words, but he knew the answer: speed and accuracy. A squire ran out to retrieve the knife and apple and Gilan ruffled Will’s hair. ‘you’ll figure out how to do it with practice,’ he said.   
‘Practice,’ Will said. The squire, now back, handed Gilan his things and ran off quickly, and Gilan tossed one of the halves to Will. Will caught it. ‘Practice. As if I don’t get enough of that from Halt.’   
‘No, you don’t,’ Gilan teased good-naturedly, and went to join the crowd, which was going back to the tables again for a dinner of roast mutton and stew.   
As they walked back to Gilan’s cabin that evening, Gilan was gracious enough to pretend he didn’t see the apples Will was hiding under his cloak. 

* 

Will had his head resting on the table and his eyes were closed. Gilan was leaning against the counter and watching him, sipping his coffee. ‘So you stayed up, huh?’   
‘wrfl,’ Will said.   
‘I heard you practicing.’   
‘zdlb,’ Will said.   
‘Are you even awake enough to drink your coffee?’   
‘cfbff?’ Will raised his head.   
Gilan slid a mug of coffee over to him. ‘How late were you up, anyway? You’ve had poor sleep on missions before and not been this tired.’   
Will guzzled his coffee and coughed as the hot liquid burned his throat. The coughing was interrupted by a yawn.   
‘I see,’ Gilan said. He watched Will sip the coffee again, more gingerly this time. ‘So how’d it go?’   
‘flglfl,’ Will said.   
‘Yeah, me too,’ Gilan teased, grinning. ‘Well, me, I’m just glad it’s possible to tire you out. I was beginning to think you never ran out of energy.’   
Will held out his empty mug. Gilan refilled it and added honey, and the mug was dragged back across the table to Will.   
‘Anyway. Today I usually have to deal with some of the aftermath of yesterday – drunken exploits, mainly – but those can wait until noon. Most people won’t want to be bothered before then anyway, and it gives time for reports to come in.’   
‘glflgt,’   
‘Yeah,’ Gilan said.   
Will, now finished his second cup, looked more awake. He stood and went to his room, then, emerging a moment later with his saxe knife, he went directly outside, and Gilan, confused, followed him.   
Will picked up an apple from the porch railing. Gilan could see it was heavily bruised.   
Will tossed the apple underhand and it flew upward in a gentle arc. He lifted his saxe knife and threw it after.   
The apple, at the highest point of its arc, fell in in lopsided halves, one significantly bigger than the other, and the saxe knife dropped to the grass.   
After a moment Gilan laughed and went to collect the knife and the apple. ‘That’s great! Just one night and you already got it down.’ He ruffled Will’s hair again.   
Will took the saxe knife from him and turned back to the cabin. ‘m goin’ to bed,’ he mumbled, and tottered off.   



End file.
